I was invited by some friends to attend a concert of sacred music by the Milltones chorus, held at Blue Cloud Abbey near Marvin SD. Though it’s a mere twenty-some miles away, this day was the first time I had ever set foot on the Abbey’s grounds or been inside the Abbey itself. I will be back. It was uplifting, peace-giving, at times tear-inducing and powerful. The acoustics in this place, especially for a choral concert of this nature, are absolutely incredible. The talent of the people who performed there was awesome – and as much as I hate using that grossly-overquoted word, the truth is, it fits. The Milltones Chorus, their feature quartets, the Milbank High School All-State chorus, and a supremely-talented quartet of young college buddies all blended together to add their lofty praises to what started out as a dreary, cloudy November afternoon. And strangely enough, when the singing began… the sun came out. I kid you not.The concert was over way too soon. And we adjourned to have – as they say around most of the church basements I frequent – “a little lunch”. Leaving the parking lot, I looked over my shoulder and saw a photo-op. The sun was low, silhouetting the Blue Cloud Abbey bell tower against the now-clear sky. The cross at the top of the tower stood watch, protecting all that lay before it.That quick photo I snapped that day helps me understand why my travels this year have been safe and pretty much glitch-free. And it’s a fitting conclusion to another season on the road.I truly hope yours went as well.
Terry's Garage 